I’m trying to pair my iPhone with my new iMac so I can remotely control music through iTunes Music in MacOS. Apple’s instructions don’t make sense, however. HELP!
One of the cooler features of the Apple Music universe is that if you have your iPhone or iPad on the same network as your iMac or MacBook computer, you can use the mobile device to control music on the computer. If you have nice speakers plugged into your iMac it’s even nicer because it’s like gaining a free remote control for your stereo system! The problem is that there are a number of poorly explained steps involved in pairing your devices to ensure that you can subsequently use your mobile device without further hassle.
Shortcuts: Get the App | Pair App with Mac Music | How to use Remote | Unpair Remote App
Not a worry, though, because I just stepped through the exact same process with my iPhone 14 Pro and MacBook Pro to ensure they could work together and it’s the basis of this tutorial. Before we go any further, however, be aware that you need both devices to be on the same wifi network and both signed into the same Apple ID. Double check you’ve got that done and you can proceed. Yes, this means that your friend can’t hijack your iMac music with their iPhone even if they have access to both devices. Probably a good thing!
DOWNLOAD THE MUSIC REMOTE APP
The first step is to pick up your iPhone and find the “iTunes Remote” app in the App Store:
Once downloaded, launch the app and you’ll get to this information screen:
Yes, in addition to remotely controlling your iMac, if you have Home Sharing set up for music, you’ll also be able to play any song from your library through the Remote app too. You can try to just “Use Home Sharing” but I prefer to “Connect Manually“. Tap on that to proceed.
You’ll need to grant the app some permissions in iOS or iPadOS:
Tap on “Allow” to proceed and the app will show a four-digit PIN number for the pairing:
Now it’s time to switch to the Mac system [or PC! If you run iTunes Music on your Windows computer, you can also pair it with your iPhone for an easy remote control. The process is remarkably similar to what’s shown herein].
PAIRING APPLE MUSIC WITH A REMOTE CONTROL
On the Mac system, launch Apple Music (called “Music” nowadays, not “iTunes” or “iTunes Music”) and look on the left side:
If you don’t see a “Devices” section, double check that both your iPhone and iMac are signed into the same Apple ID (also known as the iCloud ID) and that both are on the same Wi-Fi network. Still don’t see it? Try restarting one or both devices.
In Music I will simply click on the shown device “iPhone“, which then prompts for the PIN code on the mobile device:
I’ll enter 5 4 3 8 but you’ll want to enter the code shown on your iPhone, obviously!
It takes a few seconds to sync up then you should see this in iTunes Music on the Mac:
Done! It’s all set up!
CONTROLLING MUSIC REMOTELY FROM THE IPHONE
Now on the iPhone the iTunes Remote app offers quite a bit of power and flexibility. Minimize iTunes Music on the Mac (try clicking on the tiny album cover preview in the now playing window for its mini-window). I’ll go back to Joao Gilberto and play one of my favorite tunes of his:
And on the Mac tiny Music window, here’s what I see, perfectly in sync:
In fact, it’s quite cool and the better your audio setup, the more you’ll quickly grow to appreciate the power and flexibility of iTunes Remote.
UNPAIR THE REMOTE APP IF NEEDED
Tired of having your kids grab your phone and control music while you’re working? You can also unpair the iTunes Remote app from the Music program on your iMac or other Mac or PC system if needed! Just go into Settings > Advanced:
Notice in the middle there’s the info shown that “Music is paired with 1 Remote”. Ready for the program to forget all about it? Click on “Forget All Remotes” and you’re safe and in control again!
Pro Tip: I’ve been writing tutorials for both the Apple iPhone and Mac since they was first released. Please check out my extensive Mac help area and iPhone help area for lots and lots of useful content.